Ante-Post Focus

Published 03/03/26

DRACO MALFOY has size, scope, pedigree and promising profile that make him of interest at double-digit odds on handicap debut in the Betfair-sponsored EBF Final at Sandown on Saturday.

The six-year-old, trained by Kim Bailey and Mat Nichols, has impressed with his jumping technique and easy-going run-style on three hurdle starts to date, winning two of them and losing out only to a more battle-hardened rival in between.

A 140,000-euro purchase at the Punchestown sales two years ago, one month after scoring on second point-to-point start, this close relative of three-time Grade 1-winning hurdler Iktitaf has been allotted an opening mark of 125, leaving plenty of room for likely improvement.

Like many in this line-up, his future probably lies over fences and a longer trip, but his proven stamina will be an asset round this big, galloping track - even on drying ground it’s sure to prove a test, given the two meetings scheduled for last month here were both abandoned due to waterlogging.

He looked a natural when overcoming a ten-month absence to land a comfortable success on hurdling debut at Huntingdon and would have learned more from his second to Get On George at Doncaster, where he was run down late after looking the likely winner approaching the last.

The latter, having his fourth hurdles start that day, ran too bad to be true upped in trip and grade for the River Don on his return there a month later - it’s worth noting that in their stable tour on attheraces.com, Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith labelled him “as good a horse as we have in the yard.”

The selection is set to meet him on 3lb better terms and with additional experience now, having successfully conceded a stone to subsequent handicap winner Star Of Honour at very short odds at Hereford, charting a wide course and apparently idling on the run-in at a venue that wouldn’t have necessarily played to his strengths. That was job done in terms of boosting his education and the potential is there for passing this much stiffer test at a more suitable track.

Published 17/02/26

It’s a two-pronged each-way approach at huge prices for me following publication of weights for the Randox Grand National - starting with GORGEOUS TOM, representing 2021-winning trainer Henry de Bromhead.

The eight-year-old has yet to win over three miles-plus, hence his slipping under the radar for the Aintree marathon, but the stamina potential is there, both on pedigree and his plugging-on fourths in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last March and the Coral Gold Cup eight months later.

In the latter event over 3m2f at Newbury, this close relative of 2013 Grand National runner-up Cappa Bleu did well to finish so close after being badly disadvantaged by the false starts fiasco - encouragingly, fellow chief sufferers Pic Roc and The Doyen Chief have both won since to give the form a boost (ditto race winner Panic Attack).

De Bromhead has kept the selection’s powder dry in the interim, the upshot of which is he gets to race off the same mark here for only his second handicap try (at time of writing) and open to further improvement after just eight chase starts featuring two wins, a second and three Grade 1 fourths.

The trainer has indicated “better ground” is ideal, but I wouldn’t give up hope in more testing conditions based on the gelding’s strong maiden hurdle form on soft/heavy, including behind subsequent Cheltenham Festival winners Slade Steel and Caldwell Potter.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE is an old pal of mine and - boasting a progressive record of five wins, three seconds and two thirds in 11 career starts - has to remain of interest off a mark that should sneak him in at the foot of the weights (would have got in all last ten renewals, including the most recent since reduced safety limit introduced).

He’s only a pound higher than when mugged on the line in the Silver Cup at Ascot where he edged left on the run-in and allowed winner Deep Cave up his inside, since when trainer Anthony Honeyball interestingly said in a Stable Tour on attheraces.com that he’s probably better suited by a flat, left-handed track.

Aintree, where he was an excellent third in the bumper at this meeting four years ago, fits the bill and it’s not difficult to imagine this sure-footed, front-running jumper taking to these fences and perhaps stretching his rivals back on better ground, granted normal spring weather (for instance, gets a 16lb pull with Haiti Couleurs on their Denman Chase running on heavy).

Published 30/12/25

For all that the King George VI Chase was a Christmas cracker of a race the individual performance that’s impressed me most over the festive period is that of MAMBONUMBERFIVE, who appeals as a lively outsider for the Arkle Challenge Trophy.

Ben Pauling’s gelding has rattled off a most progressive hat-trick in the first half of the season, culminating in that ultimately decisive success in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton 24 hours after stablemate The Jukebox Man had so narrowly prevailed in the Boxing Day showpiece.

His time was only three-tenths of a second slower than the Desert Orchid Chase over the same trip barely 30 minutes later and though he carried 5lb less than the winner of that race, Thistle Ask, he had difficulties to overcome - unlike Dan Skelton’s rapidly improving trailblazer (now rated 158).

Those were respective course record times but whereas the latter didn’t see another rival apart from 150-1 shot Calgary Tiger, who finished tailed off, Mambonumberfive had to come from the rear after being taken off his feet early and jumping less fluently than on his previous starts over fences.

He also tended to jump out to the left down the back straight - a plus where Cheltenham is concerned (note his earlier chase wins were at left-handed Aintree and Newbury) - yet despite being on the back foot round a speed-favouring track, still managed to sluice through the field from three out and forge clear approaching the last.

So far, he’s made full use of his 4yo weight allowance, which is about to disappear, but that shouldn’t detract from his standing as a big, powerful horse open to further improvement - especially on a stiffer track and with more cut in the ground, according to his trainer.

Raised 6lb for his latest win to 146, he’s still got the best part of a stone to find on current official ratings with Arkle hotpots Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes, winners of their combined three starts over fences.

Both were even higher rated over hurdles than the selection, but he’s maturing quickly (settling a lot better over fences, hence his only course run - on stable debut - is easily excused) and assembling place claims at least for a burgeoning yard that has already confirmed this as a definite target.